Hortensia
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The Hortensia Diamond: A Royal Jewel With a Remarkable Journey
Among the most storied treasures of the French Crown Jewels, the Hortensia Diamond stands out—not only for its soft, peach-toned orangey-pink glow, but for the extraordinary path it has taken through centuries of royal splendor, revolution, theft, and recovery.
A Royal Addition by the Sun King
The diamond first entered the French Crown Jewels during the reign of King Louis XIV, though it was not among the gems famously acquired from explorer Jean-Baptiste Tavernier. Instead, it appeared in the 1691 inventory as the foremost diamond in the third of nineteen jeweled buttonhole florets—a subtle, elegant placement suited to its refined beauty.
Weighing 20 carats (20.53 metric), the Hortensia is distinctively flat, rectangular, and cut on five sides. Its delicate hue has been described by jeweler Michael Hing as “a very nice pink colour with a slight orangy tone… definitely on the pink side of peach.”
A Jewel of Empresses—and a Mystery Name
The diamond’s name recalls Hortense de Beauharnais, Queen of Holland, stepdaughter of Napoleon Bonaparte and mother of Napoleon III. Although she likely never owned or wore the stone, her name has clung to it since the early 1800s, lending an air of Napoleonic-era romance to its legacy.
During the First French Empire, Napoleon himself had the Hortensia mounted on the fastening of his epaulette braid, weaving it directly into imperial regalia. Later, in 1856, court jeweller Bapst set the stone in the centre of a lavish diamond-encrusted comb for Empress Eugénie—a masterpiece of Second Empire elegance.
The Diamond That Refused to Disappear
The Hortensia’s beauty made it coveted—but it was its misfortune to become a target more than once.
1792 – The Revolutionary Theft
During the French Revolution, the diamond was stolen from the Garde-Meuble, the royal repository of art and furnishings. It was recovered a year later in a Paris attic in Les Halles—hidden in a bag with other treasures, including the legendary Regent Diamond. According to a dramatic account, the hiding place was revealed by a man confessing on the brink of execution.
1830 – Stolen Again
Decades later, political unrest struck again. The Hortensia was stolen from the Ministry of the Navy—only to be swiftly recovered. Few gems can claim two successful recoveries.
Preserved for the Nation
When the French Third Republic sold most of the Crown Jewels in 1887, the Hortensia was among the rare pieces spared. Its historic and artistic value placed it alongside national treasures such as the Regent and the Mazarin diamonds.
Today, the Hortensia resides in the Galerie d’Apollon at the Louvre, preserved as a testament to France’s royal heritage and the dazzling, turbulent lives of its Crown Jewels.
A Golconda Treasure
Like many of the world’s finest historic diamonds, the Hortensia originated in Golconda, India—a region renowned for producing legendary stones of exceptional clarity and color. Despite a visible “feather” (a natural internal crack) extending from the girdle to near the culet, its radiance remains unmistakable.
A Diamond of History, Beauty, and Survival
The Hortensia Diamond is far more than a gemstone. It is a survivor of revolutions, imperial courts, and centuries of shifting power. Its soft, peach-pinned glow continues to illuminate not only its own artistry, but the sweeping history of France itself.